AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Technological Improvements in Agriculture (Day 165/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Technological Improvements in Agriculture as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Commemorating Homesteaders and Norwegian Immigrants, Wikimedia Commons

As many migrated to the Great Plains during the 19th century, they faced the challenges of this area nicknamed the “Great American Desert.” Settlers utilized improvements in technology to cope with arid lands, scarcity of water, and the lack of wood.

Steel Plow, University of Northern Iowa

Pioneer farmers replaced cumbersome, ineffective iron plows with John Deere’s steel plow to cultivate the dry prairie soil. 

Windmill on a ranch surrounded by cows, National Park Service

Many farmers struggled to access enough water for daily needs let alone grow crops or feed livestock. A new American-style windmill was more efficient, functional, and cheap and quickly became a staple in the region.

Safety Barbed Wire Advertisement, Wikimedia Commons

The invention of barbed wire allowed farmers to protect and keep control of herds and maintain their lands. It transformed the vastness of the “open range” into defined properties.

As many migrants tried their hand at farming on the Great Plains, technological improvements in agriculture, including the steel plow, windmill, and barbed wire helped them grapple with the difficult conditions.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Western Economic Opportunities in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!